Barbados Island
Situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is a West Indian continental island-nation in the western Atlantic Ocean. After a brief claim by Spain in 1492 and later Portugal, Barbados became a colony and protectorate of the United Kingdom for over three centuries. The country currently maintains Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. Located at roughly 13° North of the equator and 59° West of the prime meridian, it is considered a part of the Lesser Antilles. Its closest island neighbours are Martinique, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines to the west. To the south lies Trinidad and Tobago—with which Barbados now shares a fixed official maritime boundary—and also the South American mainland. Barbados's total land area is about 430 square kilometres (166 square miles), and is primarily low-lying, with some higher in the country's interior. The highest point in Barbados is Mount Hillaby in the parish of Saint Andrew.
The geological composition of Barbados is of non-volcanic origin, predominantly limestone-coral. After the break of South America from Africa in the Mesozoic, a reef formed. During the Cenozoic, as both the Caribbean and South American plates moved westward, the two plates impacted and pressed this reef upward. Barbados is part of a North Atlantic Ocean submarine mountain range located to the east of the Windward Islands. This range stretches from its close proximity of Puerto Rico in the north, to a south-easterly direction toward Venezuela. The island of Barbados forms the only part of this mountain range that rises above sea level.
The island's climate is tropical, with constant trade winds off the Atlantic Ocean serving to keep temperatures mild. Some less developed areas of the country contain tropical woodland and mangroves. Other parts of the interior which contribute to the agriculture industry are dotted with large sugarcane estates and wide, gently sloping pastures, with panoramic views down to the coast also.
Barbados's Human Development Index ranking is consistently among the top 75 countries in the world. In report published on October 5, 2009, it was ranked 37th in the world, and third in the Americas, behind Canada and the United States. Although Barbados' history is heavily influenced by its mainstay of sugar production, the economy is now dominated by services and tourism. The country is one of the largest global domiciles of captive insurance, and a growing number of companies have been expanding call centres to Barbados.
History
New archaeological discoveries suggest that Barbados may have been inhabited as early as some time in the 1600s BC. Better known is the migration of the Amerindians, who traveled across this part of the Atlantic Ocean by canoe from the Orinoco River region of Venezuela.
This was followed by the Arawak Indians who first arrived in the island around 350–400 BC. A few historical remains of their settlement have been found in areas of Silver Sands, Stroud Point, Chancery Lane, Pie Corner, Saint Luke's Gully, and Mapp's Cave. They were then conquered by the Caribs, as evidenced by a dramatic decline in their population around 1200 AD. The Caribs later disappeared from the island. While no direct cause has been determined, a possible combination of famine, disease, abduction, and enslavement in larger islands by the Spanish or Portuguese have all been suggested as probable causes.
Of especial note are the Portuguese, who visited the island briefly while en route to Brazil, that are responsible for leaving behind the wild boars that would greet the first British settlers.
Early British colonization
The British found an island uninhabited when they first arrived in 1625 and claimed it in the name of King James I of England. This first ship, which arrived on 14 May, was captained by John Powell. The first settlement landed some time later on 17 February 1627, near what is now Holetown (formerly Jamestown). The group was led by Captain John Powel, who arrived with 80 settlers and 10 slaves--these first ten slaves were among the sometimes kidnapped and other times runaway english or Irish youth--Black slaves came later. This settlement was funded by Sir William Courteen, a London merchant who owned the title to Barbados and several other unclaimed islands. Thus, the first colonists were actually tenants and the profits of their labour returned to Courteen and his company.
Courteen would later lose this title to James Hay, 1st Earl of Carlisle in what was called the "Great Barbados Robbery." Carlisle then chose as governor Henry Hawley. It was he who established the House of Assembly in 1639, in an effort to appease the planters who might otherwise oppose his controversial appointment.
In the very early years, the majority of the population was white and male, with African slaves providing little of the workforce. Cultivation of tobacco, cotton, ginger and indigo was handled primarily by European indentured labour until the start of the sugar cane industry.
Sugar cane and Slavery
Sugar cane cultivation began in the 1640s, after its introduction in 1637 by Pieter Blower. Initially, rum was produced but by 1642, sugar was the focus of the industry. As it developed into the main commercial enterprise, Barbados was divided into large plantation estates which replaced the small holdings of the early British settlers as the wealthy planters pushed out the poorer. Some of the displaced farmers relocated to British colonies in North America, most notably South Carolina. To work the plantations, tribal peoples of Africa were imported as slaves in such numbers that there were three for every one planter. The slave trade ceased in 1807 and slaves were emancipated in 1834. Persecuted Catholics from Ireland also worked the plantations. Life expectancy of slaves was short, and replacements were purchased annually.
Sugar cane dominated Barbados' economic growth, and the island's cash crop was at the top of the sugar industry until 1720.
Increasingly after 1750 the plantations were owned by absentee landlords living in Britain and operated by hired managers.
Roberts (2006) shows that slaves did not spend the majority of time in restricted roles cultivating, harvesting, and processing sugarcane, the island's most important cash crop. Rather, slaves involved in various activities and in multiple roles: raising livestock, fertilizing soil, growing provisional crops, maintaining plantation infrastructure, caregiving, and other tasks. One notable soil management technique was intercropping, planting subsistence crops between the rows of cash crops - which demanded of the slaves skilled and experienced observations of growing conditions for efficient land use.
Etymology
According to accounts by descendants of the aboriginal Arawak tribes on other local islands, the original name for Barbados is Ichirouganaim.
The reason for the name "Barbados" is controversial. The Portuguese, en route to Brazil or the Spanish were the first Europeans to discover and name the island. The word Barbados means "bearded", but it is a matter of conjecture whether "bearded" refers to the long, hanging roots of the bearded fig-tree (Ficus citrifolia), indigenous to the island; to the bearded Caribs once inhabiting the island as supported by Dr. Richard Allsopp, a Caribbean linguist; or to the foam spraying over the outlying reefs giving the impression of a beard. In 1519, a map produced by the Genoese mapmaker Visconte Maggiolo showed and named Barbados in its correct position.
Another name associated with Barbados or her people is "Bim","Bimshire" and De rock. The origin is uncertain but several theories abound, the National Cultural Foundation of Barbados follows the Dr. Richard Allsopp theory, which is that "Bim" was a word commonly used by slaves and that it derives from the phrase "bi mu" or either ("bem", "Ndi bem", "Nwanyi ibem" or "Nwoke ibem") from an Igbo phrase, meaning "my people." In colloquial or literary contexts, "Bim" can also take a more deific tone, referring to the "goddess" Barbados.
The word Bim and Bimshire are recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary and the Chamber's Twentieth Century Dictionaries. Another possible source for "Bim" is reported to be in the Agricultural Reporter of 25 April 1868, The Rev. N Greenidge (father of one of the island's most famous scholars, Abel Hendy Jones Greenidge) suggested the listing of Bimshire as a county of England. Expressly named were "Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Bimshire". Lastly in the Daily Argosy (of Demerara i.e. Guyana) of 1652 it referred to Bim as a possible corruption of the word "Byam", who was a Royalist leader against the Parliamentarians. That source suggested the followers of Byam became known as Bims and became a word for all Barbadians.
Geography
Barbados is the easternmost island in the Lesser Antilles. It is flat in comparison to its island neighbours to the west, the Windward Islands. The island rises gently to the central highland region, with the highpoint of the country being Mount Hillaby, in the Scotland District. [340 metres (1,100 ft) above sea level]. The island is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the other West Indies isles.
Geologically composed of coral (90 m/300 ft thick). The land falls in a series of "terraces" in the west and goes into an incline in the east. Much of the country is circled by coral reefs.
In the parish of Saint Michael lies Barbados' capital and main city, Bridgetown. Other major towns scattered across the island include Holetown, in the parish of Saint James; Oistins, in the parish of Christ Church; and Speightstown, in the parish of Saint Peter.
The climate is moderate tropical, with a wet season (June–November) and a more dry season (December–May). The annual precipitation ranges between 40 inches (1,000 mm) and 90 inches (2,300 mm).
Barbados is often spared the worst effects of the region's tropical storms and hurricanes during the rainy season as its far eastern location in the Atlantic Ocean puts it just outside the principal hurricane strike zone. On average a hurricane may strike about once every 26 years. The last significant hit from a hurricane to cause severe damage to Barbados was Hurricane Janet in 1955
Other Info
Nome oficial:
Barbados
Independencia:
30 November 1966
Área:
431 km2
População:
273.000
Idiomas e dialectos:
Bajan [bjs] 259,000 (1995). Alternate names: Barbadian Creole English. Dialects: There is a basilectal variety spoken in a fishing village (Roy 1986). The speech of the poor and less educated is similar to the mesolect in nearby countries. Increasingly influenced by USA rather than United Kingdom English (Todd and Hancock 1986). Fewer than 20 lexical items are traceable to African origin (Niles 1980:148). Shares lexical features with Caribbean creoles. Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Eastern, Southern
English [eng] 13,000 in Barbados (1995). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
Capital:
Bridgetown
Meaning of the country name:
Named by the Portuguese explorer Pedro A. Campos "Os Barbados" ("The Bearded Ones") in 1536 after the appearance of the island's fig trees, whose long roots resemble beards.
Description Flag:
The flag of Barbados was officially adopted on November 30, 1966.
The blue color represents the sea, and gold symbolizes the golden sands of the island. The broken trident centered represents the break from its colonial past.
The trident centred within the flag is a representation of the mythological Neptune, god of the sea. The trident in its original unbroken form was taken from the former colonial seal, which itself was replaced by the current coat of arms. Used within the national flag, the left and right shafts of the trident were then designed as 'broken' representing the nation of Barbados breaking away from its historical and constitutional ties as a former colony.
The three points of the trident represent in Barbados the three principles of democracy – "government of, for and by the people." The broken trident is set in a centred vertical band of gold representing the sands of Barbados' beaches. The gold band itself is surrounded on both sides by vertical bands of ultramarine (blue) representing the sea and sky of Barbados.
The design for the flag was created by Grantley W. Prescod and was chosen from an open competition arranged by the Barbados government. Over a thousand entries were received.
Coat of arms:
The Coat of Arms of Barbados was adopted upon independence in 1966 by decree of Queen Elizabeth. Like other former British possessions in the Caribbean, the coat of arms has a helmet with a national symbol on top, and a shield beneath that is supported by two animals.
The national symbol found on top of the helmet for Barbados is the fist of a Barbadian holding two sugar canes that are crossed to resemble St. Andrew's Cross. This is representative of the importance of the sugar industry as well as Barbados celebrating its independence day on St. Andrew's day.
The shield is gold in color. Upon it are a pair of the national flower, known as the Pride of Barbados, and a single bearded fig tree (Ficus citrifolia). The shield is supported by a pelican and a dolphin fish. They stand for the Pelican Island, and fishing, respectively.
At the bottom is Barbados' national motto on a scroll.
Motto:
"Pride and Industry"
National Anthem: In Plenty and In Time of Need
In plenty and in time of need
When this fair land was young
Our brave forefathers sowed the seed
From which our pride was sprung
A pride that makes no wanton boast
Of what it has withstood
That binds our hearts from coast to coast
The pride of nationhood
Chorus:
We loyal sons and daughters all
Do hereby make it known
These fields and hills beyond recall
Are now our very own
We write our names on history's page
With expectations great
Strict guardians of our heritage
Firm craftsmen of our fate
The Lord has been the people's guide
For past three hundred years.
With Him still on the people's side
We have no doubts or fears.
Upward and onward we shall go,
Inspired, exalting, free,
And greater will our nation grow
In strength and unity.
Chorus
Internet Page:
Barbados in diferent languages
eng | afr | arg | ast | bre | cat | ces | cor | cym | dan | dsb | est | eus | fao | fin | fry | fur | gla | glg | glv | hrv | hsb | hun | ina | isl | ita | jav | jnf | lim | lin | lld | mlt | nld | nor | pol | por | roh | ron | rup | scn | slk | slv | sme | spa | srd | swa | swe | tur | vor | wol | zza: Barbados
aze | bos | crh | kaa | mol | slo | tuk | uzb: Barbados / Барбадос
deu | ltz | nds: Barbados / Barbados
kin | run | sqi: Barbadosi
fra | nrm: Barbade
ind | msa: Barbados / باربادوس
lav | mlg: Barbadosa
bam: Barabadi
epo: Barbado
frp: Barbâda
gle: Barbadós / Barbadós
hat: Lababad
ibo: Babedos
kmr: Barbados / Барбадос / باربادۆس
kur: Barbados / باربادۆس
lat: Insulae Barbatianae; Barbata; Barabata
lit: Barbadosas
oci: Barbada; Barbados
que: Barbatus
rmy: Barbados / बार्बादोस
smg: Barbaduosos
smo: Papeto
som: Baarbadoos
tet: Barbadus
vie: Bác-ba-đốt
vol: Barbadeän
wln: Barbåde
abq | alt | bul | che | chm | chv | kbd | kir | kjh | kom | krc | kum | mkd | mon | oss | rus | tyv | udm | ukr: Барбадос (Barbados)
bak | srp | tat: Барбадос / Barbados
bel: Барбадас / Barbadas
kaz: Барбадос / Barbados / باربادوس
tgk: Барбадос / بربداس / Barbados
ara: بربادوس (Barbādūs); باربادوس (Bārbādūs)
fas: باربادوس (Bārbādos)
prs: باربادوس (Bārbādōs)
pus: باربادوس (Bārbādos)
uig: باربادوس / Barbados / Барбадос
urd: بارباڈوس (Bārbāḋos); باربیڈوس (Bārbeḋos)
div: ބާބަޑޮސް (Bābaḋos)
heb: ברבידוס (Barbêdôs); בארבידוס (Bârbêdôs); ברבדוס (Barbadôs); בארבאדוס (Bârbâdôs)
lad: בארבאדוס / Barbados
yid: באַרבאַדאָס (Barbados)
amh: ባርቤዶስ (Barbedos)
ell-dhi: Μπαρμπάντος (Mparmpántos); Μπαρπάντος (Mparpántos)
ell-kat: Μπαρμπάντος (Mparmpántos); Βαρβάδος (Varvádos); Μπαρμπέϊντος (Mparmpéïntos)
hye: Բարբադոս (Barbados)
kat: ბარბადოსი (Barbadosi)
hin: बारबाडोस (Bārbāḍos); बारबेडोस (Bārbeḍos)
ben: বার্বাডোস (Bārbāḍos)
pan: ਬਾਰਬਾਡੋਸ (Bārbāḍos)
kan: ಬಾರ್ಬಡೋಸ್ (Bārbaḍōs)
mal: ബാര്ബഡോസ് (Bārbaḍōs)
tam: பார்படோஸ் (Pārpaṭōs)
tel: బార్బడోస్ (Bārbaḍōs); బార్బెడోస్ (Bārbeḍōs)
zho: 巴巴多斯 (Bābāduōsī)
jpn: バルバドス (Barubadosu)
kor: 바베이도스 (Babeidoseu)
mya: ဘာဘေးဒုိ (Bʰabʰèdo)
tha: บาร์เบโดส (Bā[r]bēdōt)
khm: បារបាដូស (Bārbādūs); បាបាដូស (Bābādūs)
Barbados Island
Situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is a West Indian continental island-nation in the western Atlantic Ocean. After a brief claim by Spain in 1492 and later Portugal, Barbados became a colony and protectorate of the United Kingdom for over three centuries. The country currently maintains Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. Located at roughly 13° North of the equator and 59° West of the prime meridian, it is considered a part of the Lesser Antilles. Its closest island neighbours are Martinique, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines to the west. To the south lies Trinidad and Tobago—with which Barbados now shares a fixed official maritime boundary—and also the South American mainland. Barbados's total land area is about 430 square kilometres (166 square miles), and is primarily low-lying, with some higher in the country's interior. The highest point in Barbados is Mount Hillaby in the parish of Saint Andrew.
The geological composition of Barbados is of non-volcanic origin, predominantly limestone-coral. After the break of South America from Africa in the Mesozoic, a reef formed. During the Cenozoic, as both the Caribbean and South American plates moved westward, the two plates impacted and pressed this reef upward. Barbados is part of a North Atlantic Ocean submarine mountain range located to the east of the Windward Islands. This range stretches from its close proximity of Puerto Rico in the north, to a south-easterly direction toward Venezuela. The island of Barbados forms the only part of this mountain range that rises above sea level.
The island's climate is tropical, with constant trade winds off the Atlantic Ocean serving to keep temperatures mild. Some less developed areas of the country contain tropical woodland and mangroves. Other parts of the interior which contribute to the agriculture industry are dotted with large sugarcane estates and wide, gently sloping pastures, with panoramic views down to the coast also.
Barbados's Human Development Index ranking is consistently among the top 75 countries in the world. In report published on October 5, 2009, it was ranked 37th in the world, and third in the Americas, behind Canada and the United States. Although Barbados' history is heavily influenced by its mainstay of sugar production, the economy is now dominated by services and tourism. The country is one of the largest global domiciles of captive insurance, and a growing number of companies have been expanding call centres to Barbados.
History
New archaeological discoveries suggest that Barbados may have been inhabited as early as some time in the 1600s BC. Better known is the migration of the Amerindians, who traveled across this part of the Atlantic Ocean by canoe from the Orinoco River region of Venezuela.
This was followed by the Arawak Indians who first arrived in the island around 350–400 BC. A few historical remains of their settlement have been found in areas of Silver Sands, Stroud Point, Chancery Lane, Pie Corner, Saint Luke's Gully, and Mapp's Cave. They were then conquered by the Caribs, as evidenced by a dramatic decline in their population around 1200 AD. The Caribs later disappeared from the island. While no direct cause has been determined, a possible combination of famine, disease, abduction, and enslavement in larger islands by the Spanish or Portuguese have all been suggested as probable causes.
Of especial note are the Portuguese, who visited the island briefly while en route to Brazil, that are responsible for leaving behind the wild boars that would greet the first British settlers.
Early British colonization
The British found an island uninhabited when they first arrived in 1625 and claimed it in the name of King James I of England. This first ship, which arrived on 14 May, was captained by John Powell. The first settlement landed some time later on 17 February 1627, near what is now Holetown (formerly Jamestown). The group was led by Captain John Powel, who arrived with 80 settlers and 10 slaves--these first ten slaves were among the sometimes kidnapped and other times runaway english or Irish youth--Black slaves came later. This settlement was funded by Sir William Courteen, a London merchant who owned the title to Barbados and several other unclaimed islands. Thus, the first colonists were actually tenants and the profits of their labour returned to Courteen and his company.
Courteen would later lose this title to James Hay, 1st Earl of Carlisle in what was called the "Great Barbados Robbery." Carlisle then chose as governor Henry Hawley. It was he who established the House of Assembly in 1639, in an effort to appease the planters who might otherwise oppose his controversial appointment.
In the very early years, the majority of the population was white and male, with African slaves providing little of the workforce. Cultivation of tobacco, cotton, ginger and indigo was handled primarily by European indentured labour until the start of the sugar cane industry.
Sugar cane and Slavery
Sugar cane cultivation began in the 1640s, after its introduction in 1637 by Pieter Blower. Initially, rum was produced but by 1642, sugar was the focus of the industry. As it developed into the main commercial enterprise, Barbados was divided into large plantation estates which replaced the small holdings of the early British settlers as the wealthy planters pushed out the poorer. Some of the displaced farmers relocated to British colonies in North America, most notably South Carolina. To work the plantations, tribal peoples of Africa were imported as slaves in such numbers that there were three for every one planter. The slave trade ceased in 1807 and slaves were emancipated in 1834. Persecuted Catholics from Ireland also worked the plantations. Life expectancy of slaves was short, and replacements were purchased annually.
Sugar cane dominated Barbados' economic growth, and the island's cash crop was at the top of the sugar industry until 1720.
Increasingly after 1750 the plantations were owned by absentee landlords living in Britain and operated by hired managers.
Roberts (2006) shows that slaves did not spend the majority of time in restricted roles cultivating, harvesting, and processing sugarcane, the island's most important cash crop. Rather, slaves involved in various activities and in multiple roles: raising livestock, fertilizing soil, growing provisional crops, maintaining plantation infrastructure, caregiving, and other tasks. One notable soil management technique was intercropping, planting subsistence crops between the rows of cash crops - which demanded of the slaves skilled and experienced observations of growing conditions for efficient land use.
Etymology
According to accounts by descendants of the aboriginal Arawak tribes on other local islands, the original name for Barbados is Ichirouganaim.
The reason for the name "Barbados" is controversial. The Portuguese, en route to Brazil or the Spanish were the first Europeans to discover and name the island. The word Barbados means "bearded", but it is a matter of conjecture whether "bearded" refers to the long, hanging roots of the bearded fig-tree (Ficus citrifolia), indigenous to the island; to the bearded Caribs once inhabiting the island as supported by Dr. Richard Allsopp, a Caribbean linguist; or to the foam spraying over the outlying reefs giving the impression of a beard. In 1519, a map produced by the Genoese mapmaker Visconte Maggiolo showed and named Barbados in its correct position.
Another name associated with Barbados or her people is "Bim","Bimshire" and De rock. The origin is uncertain but several theories abound, the National Cultural Foundation of Barbados follows the Dr. Richard Allsopp theory, which is that "Bim" was a word commonly used by slaves and that it derives from the phrase "bi mu" or either ("bem", "Ndi bem", "Nwanyi ibem" or "Nwoke ibem") from an Igbo phrase, meaning "my people." In colloquial or literary contexts, "Bim" can also take a more deific tone, referring to the "goddess" Barbados.
The word Bim and Bimshire are recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary and the Chamber's Twentieth Century Dictionaries. Another possible source for "Bim" is reported to be in the Agricultural Reporter of 25 April 1868, The Rev. N Greenidge (father of one of the island's most famous scholars, Abel Hendy Jones Greenidge) suggested the listing of Bimshire as a county of England. Expressly named were "Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Bimshire". Lastly in the Daily Argosy (of Demerara i.e. Guyana) of 1652 it referred to Bim as a possible corruption of the word "Byam", who was a Royalist leader against the Parliamentarians. That source suggested the followers of Byam became known as Bims and became a word for all Barbadians.
Geography
Barbados is the easternmost island in the Lesser Antilles. It is flat in comparison to its island neighbours to the west, the Windward Islands. The island rises gently to the central highland region, with the highpoint of the country being Mount Hillaby, in the Scotland District. [340 metres (1,100 ft) above sea level]. The island is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the other West Indies isles.
Geologically composed of coral (90 m/300 ft thick). The land falls in a series of "terraces" in the west and goes into an incline in the east. Much of the country is circled by coral reefs.
In the parish of Saint Michael lies Barbados' capital and main city, Bridgetown. Other major towns scattered across the island include Holetown, in the parish of Saint James; Oistins, in the parish of Christ Church; and Speightstown, in the parish of Saint Peter.
The climate is moderate tropical, with a wet season (June–November) and a more dry season (December–May). The annual precipitation ranges between 40 inches (1,000 mm) and 90 inches (2,300 mm).
Barbados is often spared the worst effects of the region's tropical storms and hurricanes during the rainy season as its far eastern location in the Atlantic Ocean puts it just outside the principal hurricane strike zone. On average a hurricane may strike about once every 26 years. The last significant hit from a hurricane to cause severe damage to Barbados was Hurricane Janet in 1955
Other Info
Nome oficial:
Barbados
Independencia:
30 November 1966
Área:
431 km2
População:
273.000
Idiomas e dialectos:
Bajan [bjs] 259,000 (1995). Alternate names: Barbadian Creole English. Dialects: There is a basilectal variety spoken in a fishing village (Roy 1986). The speech of the poor and less educated is similar to the mesolect in nearby countries. Increasingly influenced by USA rather than United Kingdom English (Todd and Hancock 1986). Fewer than 20 lexical items are traceable to African origin (Niles 1980:148). Shares lexical features with Caribbean creoles. Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Eastern, Southern
English [eng] 13,000 in Barbados (1995). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
Capital:
Bridgetown
Meaning of the country name:
Named by the Portuguese explorer Pedro A. Campos "Os Barbados" ("The Bearded Ones") in 1536 after the appearance of the island's fig trees, whose long roots resemble beards.
Description Flag:
The flag of Barbados was officially adopted on November 30, 1966.
The blue color represents the sea, and gold symbolizes the golden sands of the island. The broken trident centered represents the break from its colonial past.
The trident centred within the flag is a representation of the mythological Neptune, god of the sea. The trident in its original unbroken form was taken from the former colonial seal, which itself was replaced by the current coat of arms. Used within the national flag, the left and right shafts of the trident were then designed as 'broken' representing the nation of Barbados breaking away from its historical and constitutional ties as a former colony.
The three points of the trident represent in Barbados the three principles of democracy – "government of, for and by the people." The broken trident is set in a centred vertical band of gold representing the sands of Barbados' beaches. The gold band itself is surrounded on both sides by vertical bands of ultramarine (blue) representing the sea and sky of Barbados.
The design for the flag was created by Grantley W. Prescod and was chosen from an open competition arranged by the Barbados government. Over a thousand entries were received.
Coat of arms:
The Coat of Arms of Barbados was adopted upon independence in 1966 by decree of Queen Elizabeth. Like other former British possessions in the Caribbean, the coat of arms has a helmet with a national symbol on top, and a shield beneath that is supported by two animals.
The national symbol found on top of the helmet for Barbados is the fist of a Barbadian holding two sugar canes that are crossed to resemble St. Andrew's Cross. This is representative of the importance of the sugar industry as well as Barbados celebrating its independence day on St. Andrew's day.
The shield is gold in color. Upon it are a pair of the national flower, known as the Pride of Barbados, and a single bearded fig tree (Ficus citrifolia). The shield is supported by a pelican and a dolphin fish. They stand for the Pelican Island, and fishing, respectively.
At the bottom is Barbados' national motto on a scroll.
Motto:
"Pride and Industry"
National Anthem: In Plenty and In Time of Need
In plenty and in time of need
When this fair land was young
Our brave forefathers sowed the seed
From which our pride was sprung
A pride that makes no wanton boast
Of what it has withstood
That binds our hearts from coast to coast
The pride of nationhood
Chorus:
We loyal sons and daughters all
Do hereby make it known
These fields and hills beyond recall
Are now our very own
We write our names on history's page
With expectations great
Strict guardians of our heritage
Firm craftsmen of our fate
The Lord has been the people's guide
For past three hundred years.
With Him still on the people's side
We have no doubts or fears.
Upward and onward we shall go,
Inspired, exalting, free,
And greater will our nation grow
In strength and unity.
Chorus
Internet Page:
Barbados in diferent languages
eng | afr | arg | ast | bre | cat | ces | cor | cym | dan | dsb | est | eus | fao | fin | fry | fur | gla | glg | glv | hrv | hsb | hun | ina | isl | ita | jav | jnf | lim | lin | lld | mlt | nld | nor | pol | por | roh | ron | rup | scn | slk | slv | sme | spa | srd | swa | swe | tur | vor | wol | zza: Barbados
aze | bos | crh | kaa | mol | slo | tuk | uzb: Barbados / Барбадос
deu | ltz | nds: Barbados / Barbados
kin | run | sqi: Barbadosi
fra | nrm: Barbade
ind | msa: Barbados / باربادوس
lav | mlg: Barbadosa
bam: Barabadi
epo: Barbado
frp: Barbâda
gle: Barbadós / Barbadós
hat: Lababad
ibo: Babedos
kmr: Barbados / Барбадос / باربادۆس
kur: Barbados / باربادۆس
lat: Insulae Barbatianae; Barbata; Barabata
lit: Barbadosas
oci: Barbada; Barbados
que: Barbatus
rmy: Barbados / बार्बादोस
smg: Barbaduosos
smo: Papeto
som: Baarbadoos
tet: Barbadus
vie: Bác-ba-đốt
vol: Barbadeän
wln: Barbåde
abq | alt | bul | che | chm | chv | kbd | kir | kjh | kom | krc | kum | mkd | mon | oss | rus | tyv | udm | ukr: Барбадос (Barbados)
bak | srp | tat: Барбадос / Barbados
bel: Барбадас / Barbadas
kaz: Барбадос / Barbados / باربادوس
tgk: Барбадос / بربداس / Barbados
ara: بربادوس (Barbādūs); باربادوس (Bārbādūs)
fas: باربادوس (Bārbādos)
prs: باربادوس (Bārbādōs)
pus: باربادوس (Bārbādos)
uig: باربادوس / Barbados / Барбадос
urd: بارباڈوس (Bārbāḋos); باربیڈوس (Bārbeḋos)
div: ބާބަޑޮސް (Bābaḋos)
heb: ברבידוס (Barbêdôs); בארבידוס (Bârbêdôs); ברבדוס (Barbadôs); בארבאדוס (Bârbâdôs)
lad: בארבאדוס / Barbados
yid: באַרבאַדאָס (Barbados)
amh: ባርቤዶስ (Barbedos)
ell-dhi: Μπαρμπάντος (Mparmpántos); Μπαρπάντος (Mparpántos)
ell-kat: Μπαρμπάντος (Mparmpántos); Βαρβάδος (Varvádos); Μπαρμπέϊντος (Mparmpéïntos)
hye: Բարբադոս (Barbados)
kat: ბარბადოსი (Barbadosi)
hin: बारबाडोस (Bārbāḍos); बारबेडोस (Bārbeḍos)
ben: বার্বাডোস (Bārbāḍos)
pan: ਬਾਰਬਾਡੋਸ (Bārbāḍos)
kan: ಬಾರ್ಬಡೋಸ್ (Bārbaḍōs)
mal: ബാര്ബഡോസ് (Bārbaḍōs)
tam: பார்படோஸ் (Pārpaṭōs)
tel: బార్బడోస్ (Bārbaḍōs); బార్బెడోస్ (Bārbeḍōs)
zho: 巴巴多斯 (Bābāduōsī)
jpn: バルバドス (Barubadosu)
kor: 바베이도스 (Babeidoseu)
mya: ဘာဘေးဒုိ (Bʰabʰèdo)
tha: บาร์เบโดส (Bā[r]bēdōt)
khm: បារបាដូស (Bārbādūs); បាបាដូស (Bābādūs)